Blasting-gun.



E. HuToN. summa GUN.

Patented Jan. V1, 1918;

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2B. l9|7.

ERNEST BUTTON, 0F WAYLAND, KENTUCKY.

BLASTING-GUN.

Specicatlon of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application med March 28, 1917. Serial No. 158,073.

Y To all @cham it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERNEST HUTTO, a.

citizen of the United States, residing at ll'ayla'nd, in the county of Floyd and State of kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blasting-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

rl`his invention relates to that class of blasting devices that are arranged 'both to choke the bored hole in the inner end of which a blasting-charge is placed and thereby to cause the full force of the explosion to operate in breaking the material in which the hole is formedfand to fire the charge.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide, for holding the device in the bore, improved expansible means that by manual operation is tightened against the wall of the bore before explosion of the.

charge and that is caused further to press against the wall by ythe force of the explosion, whereby the bore is choked and the device is restrained from being blown backwardly when the charge is fired and it is caused to fall with the broken-oil" material.

The device to which this invention is directed includes a rod having slidable upon one of its end portions a barrel carrying a firing-terminal arranged to hold an explo- 'sive cartridge.

When read in connection with the description herein, the details of construction and arrangement of parts contemplated by the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed, for purposes of illustration.

While the disclosures herein now are considered to exemplify a preferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it -is not the intention to be limited neeessarilythereto in interpretation of the claims, as modifications within the limits-of the claims can be made without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts inthe views of the drawing, of which- Figure 1 is a plan view;

Figs. 2-2 is a longitudinal sectional View;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on of a part of the shank portion of the rod, showing one of the slots thereof.

The gun includes a rod 5 having at its outer end a head 6 provided with a turninghandle 7, and the rod is formed with a centrally-disposed bore or passage 8 extending from a place adjacent to the head to the other or lnner end. The rod is formed interniediately of its ends with an enlarged tapered portion 9 circular in cross section that gradually decreases in diameter toward the inner end, and continuing therefrom to the inner end is a barrel-holding terminal shank portion 10 of uniform diameter. The inner end portion 10 of the rod is formed with a plurality of longitudinally-disposed slots 11, having lateral offsets 11a at the ends adjacent to the end of the rod.

A barrel portion 12 in the form of a tubular member is slidable freely and longitudinally on the shank portion 10 of the rod, and relative movement of the parts is limited by pins 13 extending into the slots l1. A tubular portion is formed integrally with and extends from the barrel over the tapered part 9 of the rod and interiorly conlorms approximately to the shape of that part. In order that this tubular portion, when it is moved in one direction longitudinally on the rod, may be permitted to expand and to be pressed against the wall of the bored hole, it is slotted longitudinally, whereby fingers 14 are provided that are formed integrally with and extend backwardly from the barrel. The free end portions of the fingers are exteriorly roughened or corrugated, preferably with screw-threads, as shown at 15, in order that they may grip the wall of the bored hole. The fingers are reduced in thickness at a place adjacent to the barrel, whereby there is provided an annular groove for asbestos 0rl other suitable expansible packing 16. The barrel is formed with an exterior annular groove 17, in which packing-rings 18 are disposed. The packing 16 and 18 closely fits the wall of the bore in which the gun is inserted.

`The barrel is interiorly screw threaded in its free end port-ion to receive the threaded portion of a pointed terminal 19, having a transverse opening 20 through its free end, the terminal being adapted to ext-end into the casing of, and thereby to hold, an explosive cartridge A.

Of an electric circuit including a battery gun to the bottom or inner portion ofthe hole.

At this time, the barrel is extended from the rodto the extent permitted by the slots 11 and pins 13, and the pins seat in the offsets 11 of the slots whereby the rod is prevented from being pushed farther into the barrel. During'insertion of the gun, if it fits the wall of the hole too tightly to permit easy movement, it may be forced i11- Wardly by tapping( on the head of the rod, or it may be screwed inwardly by turning the rodin a direction to keep the. pins in the offsets of the slots. After the charge is placed to the desired depth in the hole, the rod is turned in the reverse direction to bring the pins out of the offsets and thereby to permit thetpins to slide in the slots and the rod to be pushed farther into the barrel. The rod then is pushed inwardly, and the wedging action of the inclined portion thereof against the fingers 14 causes those fingers tightly to grip the Wall of the hole; and, if desired, further wedging action may be effected by tapping on the Ahead of the rod. Expansion of the fingers causes the packing 16 also to expand against the Wall of, and more effectively to choke, the hole.

Thereafter, the switch of the electric circuit is closed and a spak thereby caused to jump across the space between the end of the Wire 22 in-theopening of the pointed terminal 19 and the material of that terminal, which latter is connected with the other wire of the circuit -by that wire being grounded in the rod 5. This explodes the charge. The backward or outward push on the barrel resulting from the explosion causes the barrel to' recoil farther on the rod and further to expandthe fingers 14, thereby effecting a tighter grip of the iingers on the wall ofthe bore and preventing the gun from being driven backwardly out of the material being blasted. The arrangement thus permits a recoil of the rod and gradually stops that movement, and the strain on the gun'as a result of the explosion is less, therefore, than if the rod were held rigidly in the hole. Moreover, as the backward .movement of the rod gradually is stf'pped, the tendency to break ,the hold of the fingers on the Wall of' the hole is lessened and the gun is less liable to beA blown from the hole than if it were held rigidly therein.

Thus the gun remains in the hole if the charge does 'not shoot down the material below the hole entirely out to the face of the material, and it falls d own with the material if all of it isA shot down. In case the gun remains in the hole after` the charge is fired, the rod maybe turned in a direction the reverse of that for insertion and moved outwardly with respect to the barrel, Whereby the grip of the lingers on the wall of the hole is loosened, and then the gun may b e pulled out of the hole. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y Y l 1. A blastinggun comprising a rod having an intermediate portion that tapers gradually to less diameter toward-.its inner end and a shank, a barrel lfreely slidable longitudinally on said shank, an expansible tubular portion extending from said barrel and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, .and charge-firing means at the free end of said barrel.

2. Ablasting-gun comprising a rod having an intermediate portion that tapers gradun ally to less diameter toward its inner end and a shank, a barrel freely slid-able longitudinally on said shank, fingers extending from said barrel and' arrangedto be pressed against the Wall of a hole on movement in contact with' said tapered portion, and charge-firing means at the free end of said barrel. p

3. A blasting-gun comprising a rod having an intermediate portion that tapers gradually to less diameter toward its inner end ,and an inner terminal `shank portion, a barrel freely slidable'longitudinall on said shank portion, fingers extending 'from said barrel and arranged to be pressed lagainst the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, packing aroundv said fingers expansible therewith, and charge-firing means at the free end of said barrel.

4. A blasting-gun comprising a rod having. an intermediate portion that tapers gradually to less diameter toward its inner end and an inner terminal shank portion formed Witha longitudinally-disposed slot having a lateral offset, a barrel freely slidable longitudinally on said shank portion andihaving a pin coactable with said slot and otlsetto limit respectively relative rotary and longitudinal movement of said rod and barrel, an expansible tubular portion extending from said barrel and arranged to be pressed against theA wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, and charge-firing means at the free end of said barrel.

5. A blasting-gun comprising a rod having an intermediate portion that' tapers gradually to less diameter toward its imer end and an innerterminal shank portion, a barrel freely slidable longitudinally on said shank portlon, an expansible tubular ortion integrally formed with and exten ing from said barrel and arranged to be pressed against the wall of a hole on movement in contact with said tapered portion, and charge-firing means at the free end of said barrel.

6. A blasting-gun comprising a rod having an intermediate portion that tapers gradually to less diameter toward its inner end and an inner terminal shank portion, a

barrel freely slidable longitudinally on said 15 tapered portion, and charge-firing means at 2Q the free end of said barrel.

In testimony whereof, I ax my signature.

ERNEST HUTTON. 

